Regulatory Consulting

Irish Environmental Protection Program

Challenge:

Newly-accepted into the European Union (EU), Ireland was required to set up an Environmental Protection program, specifically for air and water. We were contacted to assist in developing the standards for the initial list of substances that should be considered as priorities.

Solution:

We identified current standards in place in the US (EPA, IRIS, NIOSH, OSHA, ACGIH), as well as those of the World Health Organization, the former Soviet bloc nations, China and Japan. The current, relevant, scientific occupational and medical literature, particularly epidemiological studies, was searched and retrieved. Articles were ranked according to the quality of study and science behind them. The collected standards were then compared to the literature and, where applicable, new risk assessments were performed.

Reflection:

Assisting in the development of new standards for air and water, we were able to use effectively both our expertise in assessing scientific research and familiarity with risk assessment models, as well as our practical, real world experience. As a result, economically achievable standards were developed that were protective of both the environment and human health.

Other Case Studies